Niewiadoma-Phinney reigns supreme on Ventoux, but the Tour de France Women's race is still up in the air.

Making its debut at the Tour de France Femmes , Mont Ventoux maintained its reputation as a ruthless giant, even if it failed to deliver the decisive blow in the fight for the yellow jersey this time. In the four previous editions of the race, the iconic mountain had always decided the fate of the Maillot Jaune, but this week everything remains up for grabs, as the Tour heads toward a fiery finale in Nice.

In 2022, Annemiek van Vleuten cemented her dominance with victory on La Planche des Belles Filles, while the following year, Demi Vollering's triumph on the Col du Tourmalet sealed the deal over Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney . In 2024, it was the Polish rider who held off Vollering's assault on Alpe d'Huez to claim the yellow jersey, while last year, Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Visma-Lease a Bike) extinguished any tension in the finale with a memorable solo breakaway on the Col de la Madeleine.

This time, on the Ventoux, there was no doubt about who was the strongest: Niewiadoma-Phinney attacked with 9.7km to go , dropping FDJ United-SUEZ leader Vollering and yellow jersey holder Marlen Reusser (Movistar) before emerging from the woods and taming the headwind, writing her name in the climb's hall of fame alongside legends such as Gaul, Merckx and Cooke.

That said, the race is far from over. The new leader crossed the finish line, beyond the historic communications tower, with a 1:16" lead over Vollering, but the virtual podium—already sealed on the Jura roads in stage 5—is within less than 40 seconds. The gaps could have been even wider had it not been for the Dutchman's attack in the final kilometer: with 2 km to go, Niewiadoma-Phinney had a nearly 1:50" advantage, but the Pole has nothing to regret after such a performance.

Now Canyon-SRAM , with loyal teammate Antonia Niedermaier and sports director Rolf Aldag , will have to develop a strategy to resist the inevitable assault on the new jersey. If Reusser has called his weekly plan "Project Dijon," Canyon-SRAM will now need a "Project Nice," as FDJ United-SUEZ will mobilize all its forces against Niewiadoma-Phinney, perhaps as early as today's stage, but more likely in Sunday's grueling finale on the Col d'Eze.

“I definitely expect a furious battle for pretty much everything – time bonuses, intermediate sprints, everything – because the margin is so slim,” Niewiadoma-Phinney said after her triumph on Ventoux, already looking ahead to the next challenge.

"Tomorrow we'll see what happens. We'll stay ahead and make sure no one in the top ten drops out," Aldag explained. "Then, of course, it will be a huge battle in Nice."

Another German, Niedermaier, will be crucial in this battle. In a direct confrontation with FDJ, Canyon is outnumbered as a team, but the 23-year-old, currently wearing the white jersey, has been among the strongest in the race. If Niewiadoma-Phinney represents the team's present, Niedermaier is its future—although, considering her recent second-place finish at the Giro d'Italia, one could say she's already there, too. On the Ventoux, she remained alongside her captain until Vollering's attack, and will be a key support figure in defending the yellow jersey, especially on Sunday.

Disappointment for Vollering, but there is no shortage of opportunities

The debate over whether Vollering should have moved earlier or reacted immediately to Niewiadoma-Phinney's attack—with the Dutchman admitting, "I should have closed the gap right away"—has now been overtaken by the facts. Vollering was visibly disappointed after the stage, which many considered her crowning achievement, another gem to add to the collection after Tourmalet and Alpe d'Huez. On the bright side, however, she still has "only" 15 seconds to make up, half the amount she gained on Niewiadoma-Phinney with her final kilometer attack on the Ventoux.

That kind of acceleration could be decisive for the final outcome of the race. Vollering has already gained 14 seconds of time bonus time compared to Niewiadoma-Phinney's four on the climbs, although in real time there was no gap between them in Lausanne and Belleville-en-Beaujolais. Canyon-SRAM is well aware of this: "Theoretically, anything could happen. Even with the bonus sprints, Demi would get there," commented Aldag.

Niewiadoma-Phinney, champion of the Amstel Gold Race and Flèche Wallonne, is certainly no slouch on this terrain. Vollering, a three-time winner of Liège-Bastogne-Liège, has shown her brilliance on several occasions and currently appears to be the stronger of the two on the short climbs. This will be the decisive factor as the race moves away from its iconic mountain and toward the Côte d'Azur.

Stage 8, classified as "flat" in the roadbook, features a potential springboard on the Côte de la Ginestière, 7.7 km from the finish. It's not the most challenging climb of the Tour—2.5 km at an average gradient of 4.4%—but it could serve as a prelude to the Chemin de l'Arieta, a 450-meter wall with an average gradient of 13%, not mentioned in the official roadbook. Could Vollering and FDJ attempt something there? If they decide not to, they'll only have 99 km to go on Sunday; otherwise, they'll have to wait another year to try again.

The final stage, featuring four climbs of the Col d'Eze—the first starting from kilometer zero—and an intermediate sprint after just 23.5 km, will offer numerous opportunities to gain time. It's worth noting, however, that Vollering hasn't yet managed to fully break away from Niewiadoma-Phinney this week. In any case, the overall contenders have fulfilled the ASO organizers' dream: a battle of seconds, with the tension typical of a Paris-Nice, between three of the best female riders on the planet.

Reusser far from the rest, but still in contention for the yellow jersey

Behind the two protagonists battling for a second title is Reusser, now relieved of the burden of the yellow jersey after three days in the lead following her time trial triumph. The Movistar leader's plan to transform "Project Dijon" into "Project Nice" didn't go as hoped, and the blow dealt by Niewiadoma-Phinney on the Ventoux threatens to be fatal for her chances of overall victory. She remains in contention, however, 39 seconds behind the leader and 24 seconds behind Vollering.

Reusser can afford to take a few more risks. Between the time trial, the hills of stage 5, and the Ventoux, there's a huge gap to fourth place: his 2'20" lead over fourth-place Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team L'IMAD) is unlikely to be overturned, barring a catastrophe on the final weekend.

It remains to be seen whether Reusser can make up ground on Niewiadoma-Phinney and Vollering in the hills of Nice. She is undoubtedly the world's best time trialist, and many of her greatest road successes have been built on this strength—from her two Tour de Suisse victories to her 40km solo breakaway at Gent-Wevelgem three years ago. She's also a decent puncher, but a 39-second upset will require sustained effort. At this point, a Reusser victory in the Tour de France Femmes would likely involve a solo attack in Nice, using her time trial prowess to hold off her rivals.

At the risk of underestimating Reusser—something she often does, as she herself pointed out before the race—she's now the clear third favorite. A stage win and a final podium finish in Nice would be a fantastic result for her first real GC campaign, but after a taste of yellow, she'll dream of the jersey again. "I'm a little disappointed about today, because somehow I still believed in it," she told Cyclingnews after Ventoux. "But it's always 'I could have, I should have,' you have to really do it, and Kasia did it."

Behind Reusser, there are still many battles to be fought, even if the podium spots seem out of reach. Fourth place is definitely still up for grabs, with Longo Borghini gaining another 10 seconds on Niedermaier with a final sprint to the finish line. "I can't wait to get to Nice. In fact, I hope to get there first!" said Longo Borghini after the stage, promising new attacks. Only 22 seconds separate her and Niedermaier heading into the final weekend, although the German's priorities will remain tied to her captain and the yellow jersey.

Cédrine Kerbaol (EF Education-Oatly), 40 seconds behind Niedermaier, is on course for her third consecutive top-10 finish. She rose two spots to sixth—tying her career-best result from two years ago—thanks to her performance on Ventoux, and she hopes to gain further ground in Nice. "I'd like to be more aggressive, but I didn't have the chance; the pace was incredibly high from start to finish," the Frenchwoman said on Ventoux. "Every day is a battle, and unexpected things happen. We'll keep fighting until the end."

Just over two minutes separate Kerbaol from tenth-place finisher Kim Le Court-Pienaar (AG Insurance-Soudal), winner of stage 6. Between the two are UAE Team L'IMAD teammates Paula Blasi and Dominika Włodarzyk, and talented Canadian Isabella Holmgren (Lidl-Trek). All will be looking to consolidate their position, especially Holmgren, 21, the Tour de l'Avenir champion, making her Tour de France Femmes debut. Last year, UAE won two stages, so she will have plenty of ambition, while Le Court-Pienaar will be favored today if she finishes in a small group.

Beyond the change of the yellow jersey, the queen stage of the race has generated numerous side stories, but attention will remain focused on the "trio of the greats" as the grand finale of another spectacular edition of the Tour de France Femmes approaches.